June 23 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has called this Thursday for a “quick” and “impartial” investigation into the attacks carried out over the weekend in the Ethiopian region of Oromia, which would have resulted in death. of hundreds of civilians and that have been blamed on the rebel group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
“I am horrified by the senseless killings and the forced displacement of the local population in the attack on the town of Tole,” said Bachelet, who has called on the Ethiopian authorities to investigate what happened “to ensure that the victims and their families have right to truth, justice and reparations, including accountability for those responsible”.
Bachelet has spoken with witnesses to the attack who have detailed that a group of armed people stormed the town, a majority Amhara, on June 18, killing hundreds of people and forcing another 2,000 to flee their homes. Also, the assailants set fire to numerous homes during the attack, which lasted about four hours, and left several missing.
“I ask the authorities to adopt all the necessary and legal measures to guarantee that the hostages regain their freedom,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The area of Oromía in which the attack was carried out is close to the Gambela region, where dozens of people have died in recent days in an attack also blamed on members of the OLA, which has increased its activities in recent months.
The OLA, split from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) after the 2018 peace agreement, has claimed responsibility for several attacks –especially in Oromia– in recent months. The OLF fought for decades for the secession of the Oromia region, but in 2018 it announced that it was giving up the armed struggle, accepting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s offer of amnesty.
Add Comment